336 AMERICAN POULTRY ASSOCIATION 



beginner can build up. When the amateur can afford it, how- 

 ever, let him invest in a mating like one or two. 



Double Mating. "Many ask about double matings and how 

 to make them. Columbian Rocks do not require that system and 

 it would be foolish to inaugurate it. However, such matings can 

 be made and occasionally circumstances might make them de- 

 sirable. 



"A special mating for pullets would be one in which the 

 females of the pen conform closely to the Standard in all points, 

 while the male should be equally good except that he should be 

 exceptionally clear of black in web of back and with few striped 

 feathers in saddle, while his tail-coverts should be exceptionally 

 nicely laced. This would throw fine pullets and at the same time 

 a good percentage of good males. 



"A mating for show males might be made by mating very 

 dark pullets showing nearly black flights and smoky or ticky 

 backs, and such a mating should produce some grand males, no 

 doubt, but many of the females probably would be ticky in back. 

 On the whole, matings that will produce a good proportion of 

 good chicks of both sexes cannot be too strongly adhered to." 



Double matings are now rarely used in solid-colored breed 

 varieties or in those varieties in which the color pattern is the 

 same in both sexes. 



As already pointed out, the tendency to use the last three 

 matings diminishes as the variety improves, until nearly every 

 breeder has one, at least, that approaches an ideal mating. 



Two groups of feathers, plates 116 and 117, show feathers 

 from different sections of male and female of an ideal single 

 mating, conforming with the best ideal for the best matings of 

 the present day, practically as described in paragraph under 

 heading of "Ideal Matings." 



The following article on mating is taken from a recent 

 American Plymouth Rock Club catalogue and was written by 

 T. J. Enslin, Secretary of the club at that time : 



"Unlike some breeds, it is not necessary to resort to double 

 matings to obtain best results. Single matings will answer every 

 requirement. 



"In selecting breeders the question of type is the first essen- 

 tial from both an exhibition and utility point of view. Also, 

 because the Rock type best exemplifies the beautiful black and 



